


guilt

by lycanicNovelist



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 03:53:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17675951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lycanicNovelist/pseuds/lycanicNovelist
Summary: Prince Sidon did not defend the one he loved, and so faced the consequences.For Milo.





	1. for love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years ago, Sidon made a huge mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _i did what i had to do_   
>  _~~won't~~ forget, ~~can't~~ regret_   
>  _what i did for love_

It had been three years, and the prince had still not left his quarters. 

After the first few months, Muzu eased the king’s worries by saying he was only suffering from heartsickness, over losing that stupid fairy that they had to exile. “He will be over it soon,” Muzu insisted. “It’s not as though they were in _love._ ” 

But still, Sidon did not come out. The few months became a year. The Domain was safe and prosperous, but without their prince around, the Zora fell to gloom. King Dorephan tried to keep their spirits up, but Prince Sidon was the lifeblood of the Domain. He was their hope. The king tried in vain to make his son come out, but nothing enticed him. Muzu paid a visit, once. He had been ignored completely, and he did not try again. 

What happened to the prince, the Zora asked? Is he ill? Is he going to be alright? A year became a year and a half, and still he did not come. Very few saw him, only guards and servants bringing food, but he did not speak, outside of thanking them. 

“He looks sick,” remarked Fronk, who delivered him his meals. “His tail droops and his fins are pale. There is a darkness in his eyes that only comes from sickness. 

Only Muzu knew the truth, and he was not going to tell it. 

He knew that Sidon sat alone in his quarters, sitting quiet on his bed, because of something the king’s councilor had done. Something that, in the prince’s eyes, tore his very heart out. 

Once upon a time, there was a Hylian with a sword that sealed the darkness. The Hylian came, and appeased the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, with the help of the deceased Zora princess Mipha, and his small fairy friend. The fairy was called Nim, tasked with helping the Hylian with his mission. After they prevailed, the fairy began to come to the Domain by itself. 

Sidon was taken with the fairy. It sang and danced and entertained the prince, but Muzu didn’t believe it was a threat- until it kidnapped the prince and took him on a journey far from the Domain. All of the Zora were enraged, and the fairy was cast out from the Domain forbidden to return. 

After that, the Hylian hero and his princess stopped coming, too. Maybe the fairy told them what they did, and made the Zora the enemies. How likely! One could not trust a mischievous fairy! 

But when the year and a half became two, Muzu began to realize that he was wrong. Sidon trusted that fairy, too much for his own good, and putting it on trial and casting it out only hurt Sidon, instead of protecting him. What did the prince think about, alone in his bed, all hours of the day and night? Muzu could only wonder. 

But Sidon always knew. 

When he and Nim had returned to the Domain after their journey, they were seized. Well, Nim was seized. He was popped into a bottle and forced away from Sidon. They gave him a farce of a trial, and all through it, Sidon said... nothing. Even as Nim protested that Sidon had agreed to everything, even suggested it, the prince stayed silent. He got one last look at Nim before they shattered his bottle on the ground, and the fairy flew away. 

He looked so hurt. 

Why hadn’t Sidon said anything? At the time, he reasoned that he had to be strong for his people, and if that meant losing Nim, then so be it. But when he looked at him, and saw the look in his eyes- Sidon knew he was wrong. Not even his kingdom was worth that despair. 

He was forbidden to seek Nim out, and that suited Sidon just fine. He did not deserve Nim, after what he’d done to him. How he refused to look him in the eye, or take his part of the blame- how _cowardly_ of him. Nim had been companion to the holder of the Triforce of Courage, and Sidon spit in the face of what that meant. 

It took the fairy so much courage to come see him, didn’t it? To travel across Hyrule alone, and to love him as openly as he did- he was so brave. Sidon loved him, but apparently not enough. Not enough to save him, not enough to protect him. Not enough to defend him. 

So Sidon stayed alone above the domain to serve his penance. 

-_-_- 

Muzu had to do _something_. He had to fix this, but how could he do that without inviting that creature back to the Domain? It seemed that was the only thing Sidon cared about- a stupid fairy! Just thinking about it made his blood boil, but... but he had been wrong before. 

Muzu had been wrong about Link, someone else that the prince had put his faith behind. Link had saved the Zora’s Domain, and all of Hyrule, and if Muzu had gotten his way, they might all be drowning! He was fish enough to admit he was wrong, and right now, he was... very, very wrong. 

Princess Mipha had loved Link. Her love was so strong for him that she had crafted him a set of armor. And she had loved her people. That love was so strong, she chose to die for their protection. Could a person not love more than one thing? If Mipha could love Link and the Zora... then Sidon could love the Zora and the fairy. 

No... Nim. 

Muzu sent word to the Hylian princess at once. They could have a ball to rekindle the relations between the two races. Invite everyone! Invite all the races! Who cares, so long as the princess comes, and his knight, and though he didn’t say it, his fairy too. 

Once the correspondence was sent, Muzu headed for the Eastern Reservoir, and Sidon’s quarters. It was time for the prince to repent.


	2. siúil a rún

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muzu makes an appeal to Prince Sidon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _i wish the prince would return to reign  
>  and bring the zora joy again  
> i wish, i wish, i wish in vain  
> is go dté tú mo mhúirnín slán  
> _

_“Go away.”_

Sidon sounded so cold. Muzu had expected this, but he steeled himself, and knocked on the door again. “Prince Sidon, it’s me, Muzu. We need to talk about some pressing matters.” 

“No. Go away.” 

If anything, Sidon sounded angrier. Of course he did, he probably hated Muzu more than he hated himself right now. Still, Muzu had to push on. The Zora needed their prince! 

“I’ve sent correspondence to the Hylian princess, requesting her presence for a ball celebrating the anniversary of Link’s freeing of the Divine Beast.” Muzu looked south, towards the plateau where Ruta sat, her trunk lowered, now that the Calamity was defeated. She looked very peaceful. 

“Good for you.” There was shuffling behind the door, as if Sidon were moving around. Muzu sighed. 

“... Your presence will also be requested, my Prince.” 

Sidon did not respond, but Muzu could feel the answers he wished to speak. _No. Absolutely not. Go away. Go away. GO AWAY!_

Muzu was growing desperate. He didn’t want to explicitly tell Sidon the reason why he should come, but perhaps he could bait him. “Link will be in attendance, of course. He, like the princess, will be an honored guest of the Zora. I’m sure he will be excited to see you!” 

“If he wanted to see me, he would have come,” Sidon responded. “Did you banish him as well? Did he come and you just kept him from me, too?” 

Muzu placed a hand over his chest, over his heart, as if to try and pull out the knife Sidon had shoved in. But he persevered. “No, my Prince, of course not. Link is a friend to the Zora. He must have been busy, guarding the princess. They will be here together, so you can see him.” 

Sidon was quiet behind the door. Muzu hoped he was considering this, but then his hopes were dashed. “No.” 

“Sidon! You cannot stay behind this door for the rest of your life!” Muzu slammed a fist against the door, but he wasn’t strong enough to do much more than rattle the knocker. “You have a duty to your people as the Prince of the Zora. You must fulfill that duty, instead of acting like a lovesick fool!” 

Muzu paused, horrified at himself. This was _not_ going the way he envisioned. He thought he was starting to make some headway, but his little outburst just crushed all of that. Behind the door, there was more shuffling, and the telltale sound of fins on stone. 

Sidon opened the door, and Muzu winced. His red skin was dull, like a dying salmon, and his fins were flat and drooping. He stooped like a beggar, making him so much shorter than he was. His eyes were empty, except for a dark, cold rage that centered on Muzu like a Guardian’s beam. 

“I am no Zora,” he hissed. “A Zora would have defended the things they care about without hesitation. At this point, _Nim_ is more a Zora than I.” And then he slammed the door so forcefully, that Muzu was knocked back. 

The councilor fell to his knees, pressing his palms against the door. He didn’t know what to say now. This was the first time he had seen Sidon in three years, and he looked centuries older, on the brink of death. Muzu had done this to him. He had killed their prince’s soul. 

“My prince,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to the door. “I am... so sorry. I was only trying to protect our people. I thought what I was doing... was right. But I... I was wrong. You proved that your judgment is greater than mine, when you brought Link to us, and I should have trusted you when the fairy- when Nim came.” 

Sidon was still just on the other side of the door, and Muzu could hear him moving behind it. The councilor kept speaking: “I requested the princess come to a ball, in the hopes that Link would come, and Nim would come with him. I was a fool, and a coward, to try and villainize him. How could a companion to the Hero of Hyrule be a threat to us? I was scared. I was scared that we wuld lose you like we lost Mipha.” 

Muzu was crying. When had he started crying? Every day, he still felt the pain of losing the princess. No doubt that the king and Sidon felt it as well, even more. And Muzu had taken away something else precious from Sidon. He took love away from him again. 

“I’m sorry. I want to make things right.” 

Muzu suddenly fell forward, as the door was opened. Floundering, Muzu sat up, and Sidon towered over him, but the wrath in his eyes was gone. Instead, he saw something else. Acceptance? Forgiveness? Softness. Kindness. _Courage._

“... Thank you, Muzu. This... means a lot to me.” He held out a hand to help the other Zora up, and Muzu took it. This was going much better than expected. However, Sidon looked away, fins drooping again. 

“I will come to the ball, but I don’t doubt that Nim won’t come. There’s no way, not after--” 

“I will ensure it!” Muzu suddenly blurted. “I will make sure that he comes with Link and Princess Zelda. In fact, I will invite him as an honored guest as well!” Sidon looked at Muzu in surprise, but then nodded. 

“Very well. If I’m going to making a public appearance, then I should get some rest. Good night, Muzu.” Sidon closed the door, but before he did, Muzu thought he could see the prince smiling. Seeing that almost took a weight off of Muzu’s shoulders, but not fully. There still a weight upon him the size of a butterfly. 

He had a very small invitation to write.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did this become a multi-chapter fic? I blame myself for wanting to spoil a friend.
> 
> The song is "Siúil A Rún," an Irish folk ballad. While the song overall has a message of supporting one's lover going off to war, it also has a meaning of one's lover being exiled. An alternative verse refers to the previous king returning, so that the lover can return. In this version, Muzu just wants Sidon to come out.
> 
> For Milo.

**Author's Note:**

> 1003 words, written in half an hour. This is for you, Milo.


End file.
